Up All Night: NBC Orders More Episodes, Changes Format

Though Up All Night’sratings have been pretty terrible this season, NBC isn’t throwing in the towel just yet. They’ve ordered three more episodes, bringing the season total to 16 installments.

In an unusual move, the peacock network is also transforming the single-camera comedy into a more traditional multi-camera sitcom. The change will take place after the 11th episode which should air in December.

Up All Night will then go on hiatus while the sets are reworked to accommodate the multi-camera set-up and a live audience. Production will resume in February on the five remaining episodes and they’ll start rolling out in April.

Tucker Cawley will remain as showrunner and no cast or producer changes are planned.

“This was an idea we and (exec producer Lorne Michaels) came to in order to infuse the show with more energy,” NBC entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt tells Variety. “We know what the multi-camera audience does for the live episodes of 30 Rock, plus after seeing both Maya and Christina do SNL within the past few months, we knew we had the kind of performers — Will Arnett included — who love the reaction from a live audience.”

Interestingly, ABC considered making a similar change to Applegate’s previous comedy, Samantha Who?, but opted to cancel the show instead.

What do you think? Do you think this is a good move? Will this save Up All Night or will it end up being cancelled anyway? Should the long hiatus be a big concern?